CAIRO—The Nile Group Festival of performances and workshops kicked off in Cairo, Egypt, the night of Nov. 16 amid the glitter, giggles, and wild applause from over 500 predominantly female audience members.
“I think this is the biggest one they‘ve had,” said Marte Kjoell, a petite blond belly dancer who traveled from her home city of Oslo, Norway, to dance at the festival—the 14th in five consecutive years.
Kjoell says that the Nile Group Festival, one of the few belly dance festival and workshop events in Egypt, is “a really good value for the money and a really good alternative to trying to learn belly dancing in Egypt on your own.” Besides the Nile Group Festival, there is Raquia Hassan’s Ahlan wa Sahlan and the Farha Festival in Luxor.
The festival remains relatively small and personal. Students find themselves sitting next to Nile Group’s international star performers and choreographers of Egyptian dance. The festival and accompanying dance performances are held three times a year, and starting in 2010 it will be held four times annually.
Amateur and professional dancers from around the world—including Japan, Europe, the United States, China, Australia, and South America—attended the Nile Group Festival’s 50 workshops spanning six days.
Some of the most talented people in the workshops exhibiting graceful Eastern and Egyptian folkloric moves came from China and Japan, where belly dancing is growing in popularity.
“I think this is the biggest one they‘ve had,” said Marte Kjoell, a petite blond belly dancer who traveled from her home city of Oslo, Norway, to dance at the festival—the 14th in five consecutive years.
Kjoell says that the Nile Group Festival, one of the few belly dance festival and workshop events in Egypt, is “a really good value for the money and a really good alternative to trying to learn belly dancing in Egypt on your own.” Besides the Nile Group Festival, there is Raquia Hassan’s Ahlan wa Sahlan and the Farha Festival in Luxor.
The festival remains relatively small and personal. Students find themselves sitting next to Nile Group’s international star performers and choreographers of Egyptian dance. The festival and accompanying dance performances are held three times a year, and starting in 2010 it will be held four times annually.
Amateur and professional dancers from around the world—including Japan, Europe, the United States, China, Australia, and South America—attended the Nile Group Festival’s 50 workshops spanning six days.
Some of the most talented people in the workshops exhibiting graceful Eastern and Egyptian folkloric moves came from China and Japan, where belly dancing is growing in popularity.
